Chapter 3

In the end, Austin said he would sponsor my education.

"Don't overthink it. It's for the family's reputation."

I was ecstatic. I never imagined he'd actually pay for me to go back to school!

What I didn't expect even more was his deeper motive.

'Iris should study more. If one day, she gains her freedom, and leaves me, she'll still have the means to stand on her own.'

I was stunned.

My heart softened.

He looked like such a jerk on the outside, but he was… actually a really good person.

…

On my first day back at Axie University, Austin drove me there.

He looked aloof and untouchable, but inside, he was a nonstop monologue.

'Life is so suffering. Eight a.m. classes are murder for an incubus. Who the hell loves school? It feels like being dropped off at prison. Why are my eyes always brimming with tears? Because I am deeply dozy.'

He kept it up the whole drive until we finally pulled up to campus.

He parked and ordered, "Get out."

"Oh."

"I'll pick you up after your last class."

"Okay. Thanks."

Staring straight ahead, he added, "At school, pretend you don't know me."

My heart sank a little. I thought he was still ashamed of me.

Then I caught his thoughts.

'Humans would probably think being adopted by an incubus is embarrassing. If her classmates find out, she might get looked down on. I want Iris to have a normal university experience… to live freely and equally on campus.'

I was genuinely touched. "…Okay."

As I climbed out, he shoved a black card into my hand. "Spend whatever you want. Don't let anyone think I'm cheap."

I teared up on the spot. "Thank you, baby!"

Austin was crying, too—on the inside.

'Waaah, she called me baby already?! This bad woman! You really do only love my money!'

…

I'd been worried about how to explain my sudden return to school.

Turns out, everyone already "knew."

My old roommates were the most relentless:

"Iris, you're a legend! You actually bagged the unapproachable Austin Colton?"

"He's a top-tier incubus! The Colton family's sole heir!"

"That face is drop-dead gorgeous, and his body is so hot. You're eating that well?!"

"So? An adult incubus's first time… it's gotta be intense, right? I heard it can last a full day."

"No wonder you took a leave. A top-tier incubus's stamina isn't something a human can just handle."

"You two look so good together. Do us a favor and film something, will you?"

My face burned red. "Shove off!"

…

After school, the moment I got in the car, I told Austin everything.

He didn't react much. "And what did you say?"

I answered honestly. "I told them you're my boyfriend. Is that okay?"

Austin's leg jerked.

He slammed the accelerator. The sports car nearly launched us into the landscaping.

I thought he was furious.

Instead, his mind was a fireworks show.

'Ahhh, Iris gave me a title! She doesn't even care that I'm an incubus! I'm a lucky, lucky bastard!'

His mouth, however, stayed sharp. "Hmph. Smooth move."

I was stunned speechless.

…

The weekend arrived, and Austin had a golf outing scheduled with several family elders—a gathering designed to bolster support among the older generation and introduce him to key connections.

Though he had just turned eighteen, Austin carried himself with a composure that seemed beyond his years: confident, articulate, poised in every movement. He moved easily among the elite, blending into their world with a charisma that was impossible to ignore—nothing like the flustered, private version of him I knew.

Under the bright sun, stretched across emerald-green fairways, he played a few strong rounds. Then, without warning, he excused himself from the elders and motioned for me to follow him to the clubhouse lounge.

Once we were alone, the polished mask finally slipped. His long fingers shook visibly as he pulled a small syringe from his pocket.

I reached out and pressed my hand over his. "That's a heat inhibitor, isn't it? I've heard how hard those are on your body."

"That's my problem." He tried to push me away.

I snatched the syringe and tucked it behind my back.

His brow tightened. "Don't play games with this."

He moved to retrieve it, arms reaching around me. I took the opening and slipped fully into his embrace.

Through the thin, breathable fabric of his shirt, I could feel the tense heat of his body. "Austin," I said softly, "just hold me."

He went still. "What?"

"Holding me helps, doesn't it? So why use the injection?"

Without waiting, I wrapped my arms around his muscular waist and pressed my face against the hard plane of his chest.